Pope Pooh-poohs "Potter"

[HoundedbyHeaven]

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Wednesday July 13, 2005

Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online

RIMSTING, Germany, July 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com has obtained and made available online copies of two letters sent by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was recently elected Pope, to a German critic of the Harry Potter novels. In March 2003, a month after the English press throughout the world falsely proclaimed that Pope John Paul II approved of Harry Potter, the man who was to become his successor sent a letter to a Gabriele Kuby outlining his agreement with her opposition to J.K. Rowling's offerings. (See below for links to scanned copies of the letters signed by Cardinal Ratzinger.)

As the sixth issue of Rowling's Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - is about to be released, the news that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed serious reservations about the novels is now finally being revealed to the English-speaking world still under the impression the Vatican approves the Potter novels.

In a letter dated March 7, 2003 Cardinal Ratzinger thanked Kuby for her "instructive" book Harry Potter - gut oder böse (Harry Potter- good or evil?), in which Kuby says the Potter books corrupt the hearts of the young, preventing them from developing a properly ordered sense of good and evil, thus harming their relationship with God while that relationship is still in its infancy.

"It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly," wrote Cardinal Ratzinger.

The letter also encouraged Kuby to send her book on Potter to the Vatican prelate who quipped about Potter during a press briefing which led to the false press about the Vatican support of Potter. At a Vatican press conference to present a study document on the New Age in April 2003, one of the presenters - Fr. Peter Fleedwood - made a positive comment on the Harry Potter books in response to a question from a reporter. Headlines such as "Pope Approves Potter" (Toronto Star), "Pope Sticks Up for Potter Books" (BBC), "Harry Potter Is Ok With The Pontiff" (Chicago Sun Times) and "Vatican: Harry Potter's OK with us" (CNN Asia) littered the mainstream media.

In a second letter sent to Kuby on May 27, 2003, Cardinal Ratzinger "gladly" gave his permission to Kuby to make public "my judgement about Harry Potter."

The most prominent Potter critic in North America, Catholic novelist and painter Michael O'Brien commented to LifeSiteNews.com on the "judgement" of now-Pope Benedict saying, "This discernment on the part of Benedict XVI reveals the Holy Father's depth and wide ranging gifts of spiritual discernment." O'Brien, author of a book dealing with fantasy literature for children added, "it is consistent with many of the statements he's been making since his election to the Chair of Peter, indeed for the past 20 years - a probing accurate read of the massing spiritual warfare that is moving to a new level of struggle in western civilization. He is a man in whom a prodigious intellect is integrated with great spiritual gifts. He is the father of the universal church and we would do well to listen to him."


English translations of the two letters by Cardinal Ratzinger follow:

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Vatican City
March 7, 2003


Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby!

Many thanks for your kind letter of February 20th and the informative book which you sent me in the same mail. It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.

I would like to suggest that you write to Mr. Peter Fleedwood, (Pontifical Council of Culture, Piazza S. Calisto 16, I00153 Rome) directly and to send him your book.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger


=======================

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Vatican City
May 27, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby,


Somehow your letter got buried in the large pile of name-day , birthday and Easter mail. Finally this pile is taken care of, so that I can gladly allow you to refer to my judgment about Harry Potter.


Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger


Links to the scanned copies of the two signed letters by Cardinal Ratzinger (in German) - In PDF format:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerlet...
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerper...

See LifeSite's Harry Potter resource section at:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/

jhw

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[MrBiddle]

He is a Sith Lord, and a man of dulcet tones and the darkest treachery no different than J.K. Rowling...

[HoundedbyHeaven]

He is a Sith Lord, and a man of dulcet tones and the darkest treachery no different than J.K. Rowling...

Spare us the Catholic bashing, will you?

[pnoize]

does that mean that a book that has inspired millions of children to read once again is bad?

[MrBiddle]

Spare us the Catholic bashing, will you?

I'm a Catholic although on paper only...

I just don't understand what's the big fuss about a book that has inspired millions of children to read, as pnoize2k4 said .....that's set on an entirely different universe.

*ignites light saber*,Â* in the name of the ROman Catholic Church, you are under arrest, your holiness. The conclave is decided!!!

Pope replies: I AM the conclave

[HoundedbyHeaven]

Spare us the Catholic bashing, will you?

I'm a Catholic although on paper only...I just don't understand what's the big fuss about a book that has inspired millions of children to read, as pnoize2k4 said .....that's set on an entirely different universe.*ignites light saber*, in the name of the ROman Catholic Church, you are under arrest, your holiness. The conclave is decided!!!Pope replies: I AM the conclave

Then you are not a Catholic at all. Is that it? Because a book attracted a lot of readers? Is the readership all that matters? Gee, this one got many readers reading into it, it must be good. So what? Playboy magazine got many eyes reading to it too, what's the fuss? Yeah, right.

[MrBiddle]

Then you are not a Catholic at all. Is that it? Because a book attracted a lot of readers? Is the readership all that matters? Gee, this one got many readers reading into it, it must be good. So what? Playboy magazine got many eyes reading to it too, what's the fuss? Yeah, right.

Your comparison doesn't make any sense. It's NOT like the Harry Potter books have pornography and vile content in them.

If the Potter books easily take away or divert from the teachings of the church, then the church is lax in nurturing it's sheep.

I am a Catholic but I refuse to go by "Roman Catholic" because to me that term means "universal" to call it a "Roman" kind of universal that would be a misnomer and oxy*****.
And I don't believe in the infallibility of the Pope or ex cathedra.

But if the Potter books are truly taking away from what the Roman church wants to instill in the minds of people - then from the point of view of the church Anathema sit, J.K. Rowling

[vanceloma]

I love harry potter!

[DebutsAndIDos]

Your comparison doesn't make any sense. It's NOT like the Harry Potter books have pornography and vile content in them.

That would depend on what one considers vile now, wouldn't it, Mr. Biddle?

=) peace!

[DebutsAndIDos]

Read this article below @
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanhe...7272005724.asp


Potter mania could negatively affect kids: psychiatrists

New Delhi: PTI

As Harry Potter, a young man now, enters into a chilling saga of revenge and dark magic, psychiatrists wonder if the Potter-crazy children the world over are ready for this sudden and violent transition into a hitherto unknown world.




As Harry Potter, a young man now, enters into a chilling saga of revenge and dark magic, psychiatrists wonder if the Potter-crazy children the world over are ready for this sudden and violent transition into a hitherto unknown world.

The 'Boy Who Lived' now knows he is the 'Chosen One' and his fate is entwined with that of the evil Lord Voldemort. But psychiatrists say, author J K Rowling, who introduces Harry to some "seriously dark magic," has not kept in mind the negative imprint the violence would leave on the minds of kids.

As Potter-fever gripped the world on the eve of July 16 and the sixth book of the Harry Potter series flew off the shelves, children eagerly awaiting Harry's escapades found them entering a dark world, psychiatrists say that may be a little more than they can handle.


"Sometimes books and films that are full of thrilling images may provoke their instincts," Dr Jitender Nagpal, a psychiatrist with the VIMHANS says. 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' - the latest from Rowling's stable not only takes Potter through an advanced course in magic, some of it dark, but leaves some serious tragedies in the wake that children say they never expected and saddened them.

"Children as young as five years, especially of the upcoming public schools, now imbibe images that percolate to them, affecting their progressive behaviour," Nagpal says.

"I was dying to read this book as it holds some of the answers to where book five left off - Harry posed with the gargantuan challenge of facing Lord Voldemort and either of them winning the unto-death battle," says Neha Aurora, a student.

"Intoxicatingly thrilling" - despite her glorious verdict for the book, she claims "it is downright chilling at many places." The world around Harry has suddenly become dangerous with the rejuvenation of Lord Voldemort and he has had to pick up and use new complicated spells to cope with adverseries.

"While his previous spells simply caused objects to fly, zoom or at best stupefy his enemies, in this book he actually draws blood, though unwittingly," she says.

"Ghastly details, vivid images of violence," Nagpal says, "can bring about extreme emotional instability in children." "Fanatic involvement in larger than life characters can affect their cognitive profile, as they do not differentiate the line between fantasy and reality," he says.

However, psychiatrist Sanjay Parekh defends the author saying the book is not necessarily so-called children's literature.

"The book is a progressive series and the youngsters must have grown up along with Harry. Though anything violent is not condoned, but adolescents can easily identify with the boy wizard's emotions, his passing phases," Parekh says.

As for the generous smatterings of romance in the book, he says "romance can never be a matter of concern for children. Violence is. Parents of little children thereby must also themselves read any literature they hand to their kids, to answer their curiosity," he says.

However, book critics say Harry's gradual shedding of puppy fat to grow into the young man who is discovering his hormones and gathering his wits to hunt down the 'Dark Lord' reflects the only natural human transition from childhood to adolescence and would not affect minds of very young readers.

As for death and devastation, the book only prepares little ones for the harsh world, where the "good people" are not necessarily invincible, they say.

"For one thing, children very young these days capture violence and adult emotions and somehow tend to ventilate them through diverse channels," Nagpal says adding that not all of the ventilation process is constructive.

"However there is a difference between violence in real life images, as in television and films and violence in fantasy, which is more toned down," Parekh says.

Book six shows Harry concocting more complicated potions, slashing his arch enemy Malfoy's face with one single dark spell, albeit unknowingly, he is more aggressive, inquisitive and definitely outgrowing his childish crushes.